Jackets and Jealousy
by robertsaaronsebastianskurt
Summary: After a rainy rendezvous at the barn, Robert lends Aaron his jacket. But what happens when a certain someone in the village sees him out and about wearing it?


**Hi all! I've finally written my first fic, I'm so proud of myself! :) I hope you enjoy the story, feel free to leave reviews as I'd love to hear your thought. Angst and fluff will follow ;) Hugs.**

* * *

"I've gotta' go." Robert said, leaning in to give Aaron a quick peck on the lips. Aaron's mouth momentarily turned down at the edges before he faked a smile.

"Yeah, sure. Of course." He lifted himself into a sitting position, trying to hide his disappointment. He didn't want to ruin what had been a perfect afternoon with his secret lover. He knew that if he voiced his thoughts, it would only lead to an argument that neither of them wanted. So instead, he turned and smiled to a relaxed Robert.

"When will I see you next?"

"I don't know. The amount of meetings I've put off recently… I'm gonna' have to start going to them if I don't want Chrissie to get suspicious." Robert said. The matter of fact manner that he said it in was so blunt and to the point, it made Aaron cringe.

"Oh."

Robert seemed to notice that he'd mentioned the forbidden 'C' word and wanted to backtrack. "Aaron," he started, but fell silent when he realised he didn't know what to say.

"Don't. It doesn't matter," Aaron bit his lip, wanting to get past the awkward moment. "I need to go see Adam anyway so I best be getting dressed." He reached for his clothes, but soon realised that they were still drenched from earlier and sighed. He stood up and pulled them on anyway, eager to get back home to have a shower. Something about being a 'dirty little secret' made him feel the need to have a shower, almost as if it could wash off the guilt of loving someone who wasn't his. The cold and damp material clung to his skin in an uncomfortable way and Aaron felt his already deflating mood drop even lower.

"Aaron, you can't go back out in this weather wearing those clothes, you'll freeze."

"I'll be fine, you don't have to worry about me."

 _If only it were that simple,_ Robert thought to himself.

...

 _2 hours earlier_

 _There was no other way to put it… it was pissing it down and Aaron was soaked to the bone. He'd received the call from Robert whilst out for a run and couldn't find the strength to refuse the offer to meet at the barn. But on his way there, the heavens had decided to open and that's how Aaron found himself rushing into the barn to an awaiting Robert, dripping wet and shouting various swear words along the way._

" _I like this look on you," Robert commented, from where he was sitting on a bale of hay in the middle of the barn._

 _Aaron scowled. Water dripped from his hair and down his face as he moved towards Robert._

" _Yeah well, I won't be making a habit of running through the rain to see you."_

 _Robert smirked. "You know I'm worth it, Aaron." He grabbed the material of Aaron's sopping wet running shirt and twisted it around his fingers, giving Aaron a cute, toothy grin._

" _Do I?" Aaron's eyes found their way down to Robert lips and he felt the need to put his own against them. He never liked to be the one to make the first move- he preferred when Robert took control, it was easier that way. It meant he didn't feel as if he was taking advantage of a married man and more importantly, he was assured that Robert wanted him as much as he wanted Robert._

 _Robert took that as his cue and pulled Aaron closer so that their bodies were flush against each other, the wetness of Aaron's clothes seeping into his._

… _._

They argued for a few minutes about what to do before Robert said, "Look, I've got the car and if you're so insistent that you want to walk home, then at least let me give you something to keep you warm," Robert smiled and caressed Aaron's cheek. "Please."

At Aaron's nod, Robert brought him closer for a sloppy, open mouthed kiss that was full of dominance. He always gave these sorts of kisses when he got his way. Aaron smirked.

Once Robert was fully clothed and the rain had stopped, he quickly ran to his car and pulled out a light grey jacket that he wears' on 'slob' days. He didn't want to act like giving Aaron his jacket was a big deal so he feigned confidence, as he often did around the man who made him weak at the knees. He walked back to Aaron who was waiting patiently inside the barn.

"Here." Robert shoved the hoodie into Aaron's arms with a gentle smile.

"Oh, um. Thanks." Aaron cheeks flamed as he accepted the hoodie, unsure of what more to say. He slipped it over his head, resisting the urge to pull it towards his nose so that he could take in Roberts smell. The jacket was baggy, well-worn and bitten on the edges of the sleeves. Funny, Aaron mused, I never took Robert for a sleeve biter. There was the name of the brand on the upper left breast with a black star embroided on it.

"Keep it safe for me. It was a present from my dad; he gave it to me for my birthday one year, I can't remember which." Robert said, a far-off look in his eye. Aaron cherished moments such as these; the ones where he got to know his Robert just a little bit better, where he felt Robert open up to him in a way that he might not with anyone else. Aaron smiled and Robert reached towards him to make sure the jacket was zipped up properly. Satisfied, he smiled but didn't let go of the material. He liked the sight of Aaron in his clothes but he couldn't let himself get distracted – he needed to get back to Chrissie.

"Right well, I best be off." Robert said, awkwardly avoiding Aaron's gaze. "Could you not… um, wear it out, you know…" He stroked down the length of Aaron's abdomen, bringing a shiver out of the younger man.

"Yeah, of course." Aaron looked at his feet and kicked some hay around. He didn't like the unsettled feeling he got, as if there were words left unspoken, but before he had time to dwell on it, Robert had let go of him and turned towards the barn doors.

"Wait Robert," Robert turned back, surprise colouring his features.

"What?"

"Kiss me." Aaron said, simply. It was a gamble on Aaron's part as he wasn't usually so demanding of Robert. The look of disbelief on Roberts face would have been almost laughable if Aaron hadn't been feeling so serious. The gesture of being given Robert's jacket had stirred something inside him, an emotion he'd been learning to suppress around his lover. But a gesture so simple had proved to Aaron that Robert did care and that meant more to him than any swanky hotel could.

Once he'd got over the shock, Robert turned around and slowly moved in towards Aaron, never taking his eyes off his. He lowered his head, nuzzling his nose against Aarons' before lightly pressing his lips to his boyfriends. Aaron couldn't remember a time when a kiss between the pair had been so gentle, so chaste. But it was perfect.

Aaron pulled away and smiled shyly. "See you later, then."

Robert nodded, feeling dazed and walked out of the door.

…

"Aaron, love," Chas shouted from the bottom of the stairs, "I need you to do me a favour."

When no response came, Chas huffed and marched up the stairs and stood outside her son's door. "Aaron, wake up! You lazy shit." Still no response. Chas banged on the door.

"God, mum. Can't you tell I'm ignoring you?" Aaron swung open his door and gave his mum the best 'bitch please' face he could muster, whilst hiding behind the door to avoid showing that he was only wearing his boxers. "What do you want?"

"I need you to go to the shop for some milk and other bits. I've got deliveries I need to put away and then I need to help Vic in the kitchen because Marlon's off. Do ya' think you can manage that?"

"Yeah, whatever. Just leave me a list and I'll go in abit."

"No, now Aaron. I need a brew or I'm gonna' get cranky."

"What dya' mean going to?" At Chas' annoyed look, Aaron sighed. "Right right, I'm going. Will you at least let me get dressed?"

Without waiting for a reply, Aaron slammed the door in his mother's face. He pulled some joggers on that he picked up from the floor of his bedroom and pulled a light grey t-shirt that was thrown over the bottom of his bed, giving it a quick smell before he did to make sure it was wearable. He picked up his phone to check for messages. He had two. One short and snappy message from Adam wondering why he wasn't at the scrapyard yet and another from Robert.

 _Hope you didn't freeze your ass off on the way home. ;) – R_

Aaron hadn't checked his phone when he got back from the barn. He'd gone straight up to his room, took off Robert's jacket and put it on his pillow. He'd stood staring at it, as if it was a foreign object, trying not to make a big deal over the fact that it was in his possession. He knew he couldn't be caught wearing the hoodie – how would that look? Wearing clothing of the man who invested in your business who, according to the rest of the village, you were _barely_ on speaking terms with? So he'd left it there, along with mixed up feelings and went to pour himself a pint and have a drink with Adam, avoiding his questions about where he'd been that afternoon. By the time he'd gone back to his room, a slightly drunk Aaron had fallen straight asleep, with his arms curled securely around the jacket.

He knew that the text from Robert was a warped way of checking to see if he'd made it home in one piece. He knew that Robert worried about him; he actually kind of liked that he did. It showed that he cared and it wasn't just words. He also knew that Robert was wary over sending texts to him after the incident with Katie and Alicia. He normally called or reserved texts for business talks that had _hidden_ messages. So, the fact that he'd sent him a flirty text with an underlying message of concern perplexed Aaron.

In fact, Aaron was so distracted by the text from Robert, he didn't even think when he grabbed the light grey jacket off his bed, pulled it on and set off to go to the shop.

….

Aaron picked up all of the bits on the list that his mum had left him, chucked a tenner at a hungover Carly and walked out the door. His mind had been utterly focused on crafting the text he would send back to Robert that would be equal parts flirty and elusive. But whilst attempting to type out the message, at the same time as holding a bag full of groceries, Aaron collided into the last person he'd expected (or wanted) to see.

"Oh my god Aaron, I am so sorry. I wasn't looking where I was going."

Aaron's mind went blank. Images of him and Chrissies' husband the day before flashed into his mind, naked and writhing, while he stared open mouthed at the woman herself.

"Uh… sorry Chrissie. I'm… um… not with it today." Aaron laughed nervously. He knelt down to pick up the groceries that had gone flying out of his hand and were now strewn across the road in front of Carly's shop. Chrissie knelt down and picked up his phone and held it out him his phone, the screen still open to send a text to Robert. Aaron quickly snatched it back, locking it in the process and mumbled another apology.

After he'd successfully got all the bits from the concrete, Aaron focused on Chrissie for the first time that day and he saw the picture-perfect wife. He couldn't understand it; the Robert he'd come to know and love would be taken in by such a person; someone who was so prim and proper. Yes, she _was_ beautiful but he couldn't understand what it was that made him so crazy when it came to defending their relationship and claiming that he loved her. Maybe it was Aaron's jealously talking but he just didn't understand what it was that made _her_ so special.

In a haze of jealously, Aaron didn't notice Chrissie giving him a peculiar look. "What?" Aaron couldn't keep the irritation out of his voice.

"Oh… nothing. I just… recognise that jacket." Chrissie said, frowning and keeping her eyes firmly locked on Aaron's clothing. "Is it yours?"

"Oh this." Aaron pulled at the material. He looked around for anything that would get himself out of this situation but found nothing. "It's…um-"

In that moment, Aaron had never been so happy to be interrupted. Adam was shouting at him from across the road, "Oi, slacker! Where the hell have you been all morning? I've been looking everywhere for you. The scrapyard isn't gonna' make money by itself you know."

"Sorry Chrissie. I…uh, have to go," Aaron gestured at Adam. "Sorry about… you know. Bumping into you."

Before she could answer, Aaron ran across the road with his bag of groceries and phone in hand, leaving Chrissie stood gawping at him.

"I could seriously kiss you right now."

"What?" Adam asked.

"Nevermind."

"What did posh knickers want?" Adam elbowed him.

Aaron winced at the nickname. "I bumped into her when I came out the shop."

"I don't like them lot. Give me the creeps."

"Yeah, me too." Aaron mumbled, looking away for a moment. "Anyway, I gotta' give these to my mum, I'll be up at the scrapyard soon."

"You better be mate, or I swear to god," Adam gave him a serious look, but couldn't hold it for long before breaking into a grin. "By me a pint later and all is forgiven."

"Yeah sure thing, mate. Cinabit'." Aaron gave him a nod and dashed inside The Woolpack, his heart still racing. He'd been so distracted by his boyfriend's wife that he forgot all about the text he was going to send to Robert.

…

 _Later that day_

"The strangest thing just happened in the village," Chrissie said, walking into the kitchen where her husband was eating a bowl of Honeynut Cheerio's.

" _Hmm, what?" Robert replied absentmindedly._

" _I just bumped into Aaron on my way to the shop." Robert felt his hackles rise whilst simultaneously fighting to keep his face free of any emotion. His attention was now fully centred on his wife. She could mean anything, Robert thought, just chill out._

" _Oh yeah. What did he want?"_

" _He had a jacket on, the exact same one you wear when you're feeling lazy." Chrissie never understood why he would wear such a thing or why a tatty old piece of clothing meant so much to him. She thought the thing was utterly hideous. Robert didn't appreciate Chrissies' suspicious tone and he knew he had to act fast._

" _Oh, uh. Yeah, I had to lend it to him at the scrapyard. I spilt coffee down him when we were going over some business."_

 _Nice one Robert, he thought to himself, of all the lies you have told; that one is the worst._

" _Really? Couldn't he just have got something from Adam?" Robert cringed._

" _Adam wasn't there. It was the only thing I could think of. He gets pissed off so easily that one, makes me regret investing." Robert tried to laugh it off, as if he wasn't freaking out inside. "Is there a problem?"_

" _No, no. Of course not, it's just..." Chrissie started. She wasn't usually one to struggle to find words._

" _Come on, spit it out." Robert made sure to show his annoyance at the situation. Turning the situation round to make his wife feel bad for overreacting was one of his specialities._

" _Well, why would he be wearing it out in the village?"_

" _Oh come on, what are you saying? He probably just put it on without thinking about it. It's not a big deal." Robert stood up, taking his empty bowl to the sink to wash it._

" _I know. Of course, you're right." Chrissie came up behind him and hugged his waist. "My mind was going crazy then, I was thinking that the local mechanic had a crush on my husband. I was ready to get protective of what's mine. How silly am I? At least I married a man who can see sense of a situation."_

" _You were actually jealous of_ a man _fancying me? Aren't you sweet?" Chrissie blushed, embarrassed. "Even if he did have a crush, could you blame him?" Robert turned in her arms and flexed his muscles. He was glad he could steer the conversation to take on a much more light-hearted manner. Inside, he was doubling over at the thought of Aaron having a crush on him. Oh, Robert thought, it's much more than that._

" _Oh stop it, you." Chrissie swatted his arm. "I'm gonna' go for a bath. Think I need a day to relax. Fancy joining me?"_

" _Sorry babe, I've got some business to clear up and then I'm meeting Andy for tea in the pub, remember?"_

" _Oh yeah, of course. You enjoy." She give him a quick peck and left the room. Robert breathed a sigh of relief, visibly deflating from all the tension he'd been holding in during that conversation._

…

*R calling*

"Fuck." Aaron muttered to himself. He could not deal with this now; the inevitable anger from Robert for being caught so blatantly in the village wearing _his_ jacket by _his_ wife. Aaron pressed the reject button and let his head fall back against the sofa. Staring at the ceiling, Aaron contemplated what he'd done; him and Robert had just made it through a shaky patch in their on-again off-again relationship and it finally felt as if they were on common ground, both understanding what they needed from each other and what they meant to each other. Aaron knew this would be another setback, another reason for Robert to suggest that they back off so his loving 'wifey' doesn't get suspicious.

His phone beeped with 1 new voicemail. Without looking away from the ceiling, Aaron dragged his phone into eye view and pressed the listen button.

"Hi, it's me. We need to talk. Meet me at the barn in half an hour?" It was phrased as a question. Aaron sent a quick text saying he'd be there and went to look for his shoes.

"Where are you off to love?"

"Jesus, mum. Where did you come from?" Aaron was startled. He was fed up of feeling like his mum had a constant radar on him that went off every time he so much as moved "Are you always lurking near me or what?"

"No, I was just coming in to see if you wanted a pint is all." Chas said.

"Well, no, I don't." Aaron pushed past her. "As you can see, I'm going out."

"Where?"

"Just out." Aaron snapped. If Chas knew about him continuing to see Robert, she would pop a lung. He wasn't the most popular guy in the village. Hell, he was probably the least popular guy in the village, but that didn't matter to Aaron. He'd seen the sensitive and caring side of Robert who had admitting to needing him, to loving him and for the life of him, he couldn't let that go. So that's why he bundled up the jacket in his arms from where he'd stashed it in the corner of the sofa and rushed out of the pub before his mum could say another word.

….

The minute Aaron walked into the barn, he felt himself get pushed up against the wall, hands held above his head and he saw the gorgeous eyes of Robert Sugden peering at him. The jacket that was held under his arm had now fallen onto the floor of the barn.

"Robert, wait." Aaron said, panicking that he wasn't going to get a chance to explain. "Look, if the jacket means so damn much to you, you can have it back. I didn't mean to wear it out I swear. I only nipped out to the shop, I wasn't thinking." Aaron could feel himself babbling.

"Shut up." Robert said and then kissed him, hard. It was all tongues and teeth. Aaron moaned into Robert's mouth at the unexpectedness of it all. Robert let up on the Aaron's hands and stepped away.

"W-what was… uh that?" Aaron stuttered out in a haze of lust, eyes still very much focused on Robert's lips.

"Can't I kiss you when I want?" Robert smirked.

"Not when I thought you were gonna' finish us… again."

"Why would you think that?"

"Well, I just thought… Chrissie would have had a word about me wearing your jacket?"

"Yeah, she did. I cleared it up, it's fine." Robert grabbed Aaron's hand, caressing it slowly.

"Then why did you leave me that message saying we needed to talk?" Aaron felt himself get angry. He'd come to the barn believing that this was yet _another_ inevitable end for his secret relationship and now that Robert was basically laughing it off and making out like it was no big deal, the adrenaline running in his veins that had been prepared for a verbal fight was now making him oversensitive.

"I wanted to check you were okay. You never answered my text. You know I get very concerned about that ass of yours." Robert winked at him, moving his hand round to cup his ass and bring him closer.

"Are you serious? You're not mad about the jacket thing?"

"Nah. You know me, I can talk my way out of a paper bag." Robert kissed his jaw.

Aaron rolled his eyes. "You are un-believable, you know that?" Robert hummed out a reply from where he was now sucking a hickey onto Aaron collarbone. He brought his hand up to hold Roberts hips and squeezed them lightly; all thoughts of being mad at him had flown right out of his head. Once Robert was satisfied with the hickey, he lifted his head and kissed Aaron on the nose.

"Was that necessary?" Aaron gestured to his collar.

"You said yourself you'd come here seeking punishment for wearing my jacket. I'm always happy to oblige."

"That is not what I said," Aaron pinched Robert's hips, making him squirm. "Well anyway, my ass is fine, as you can see. So now you've checked, anything else?"

"No, that's it. Unless you want me to check out your ass even more?" Robert still had his hands firmly pressed on Aaron's arse so he gave it a squeeze, laughing into Aaron's neck. They stayed like that for a few minutes, just basking in each other's company before Robert let up and picked his jacket up from the floor.

"Right, as much as I want to continue this, I said I'd meet Andy in the pub for tea." He turned Aaron around and slipped the jacket up his arms, kissing the back of his neck.

"What a shame. I was just starting to enjoy myself." Aaron bit his lip shyly.

"You can come if you want. As long as you leave my jacket in your room of course. We don't want anyone else thinking you've got a crush on me." Robert winked, spun him back around and grabbed his hands. "Oh and if anyone asks, I spilt coffee on you yesterday."


End file.
